A month following Donald Trump's presidential win, voter sentiment reflects a divided nation, with a blend of positive and negative reactions to the election results. A recent Fox News poll reveals a complex emotional landscape.

While a slight majority express feelings of hope (54%) and relief (50%), a significant portion also report feeling scared (46%), surprised (50%), depressed (40%), and angry (39%). This emotional divide largely falls along party lines, with Republicans predominantly feeling hopeful, relieved, and excited, while Democrats express fear, anger, and depression.

Compared to 2016, there's a noticeable dip in hopefulness and a rise in depression, primarily among Democrats and Independents. Democratic pollster Chris Anderson suggests this shift might indicate some Democrats believe Trump could address specific concerns like inflation and border security, which were key voter issues.

Economy and Inflation Remain Top Priorities

The poll highlights the economy and inflation as dominant concerns. The economy was identified as the most important issue by 39% of voters, and inflation was the single most important factor influencing their vote. These voters overwhelmingly supported Trump.

Looking ahead, voters prioritize tackling inflation, with 60% emphasizing the importance of lowering food and gas prices. Other priorities include cutting taxes for individuals, strengthening national defense, and addressing immigration. Lowering prices is a shared concern across party lines.

Voter expectations for the Trump administration are mixed. There's optimism about border security and public safety, but pessimism regarding democratic processes, taxes, national debt, and abortion restrictions. Opinions are divided on the future of high prices and free speech restrictions.

Cabinet Picks and Elon Musk's Role

The poll also gauged public opinion on Trump's Cabinet nominees. Marco Rubio received the highest approval for Secretary of State, while Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel faced more negative responses. Overall, voter approval of Trump's Cabinet picks is divided, mirroring the partisan split seen in the election results.

Similarly, public opinion on Elon Musk serving as a close advisor to Trump is split, with near equal proportions of approval and disapproval.

The poll, conducted December 6-9, 2024, surveyed 1,015 registered voters and has a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points.